Plant meristems, including the shoot apical meristem (SAM), root apical meristem (RAM), inflorescence meristem (IM), floral meristem (FM), and axillary meristem (AM), are responsible for all post-embryonic organogenesis. Meristem maintenance in Arabidopsis is determined by the genetic balance between meristem self-renewal and lateral organ development, which is mediated primarily by the WUSCHEL-CLAVATA3 feedback regulatory loop and crosstalk between SHOOT MERISTEMLESS and genes involved in organ boundary or organ initiation. Meanwhile, environmental cues like light, temperature, and pressures, as well as internal factors like phytohormones, sugar, and nutrients, control meristem maintenance through genetic and epigenetic mechanisms.

The dynamics of initiation, maintenance, and differentiation of meristems are also important agricultural traits for crop yield, as they directly determine grain number per spike/panicle and spike/panicle number per plant (also called tiller) among the three yield components. Many important agricultural crops, including rice, wheat, maize, and barley, are members of the grass family, which is one of the largest in angiosperms. Exploring the knowledge of meristem would shed light on how to increase the yield of these crops.

Using model plants like Arabidopsis and rice, we have made significant progress in our understanding of meristem maintenance and differentiation. Meanwhile, a growing number of genes or QTLs have been discovered as contributing to crop yield by controlling meristem activity in plants. However, there is a gap between theoretical research and practical implementation of plant meristems in crop yield enhancement. The goal of this Research Topic is to integrate our understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant meristem establishment, maintenance and differentiation as well as their possible applications in crop yield enhancement.

We welcome submissions of original research papers, reviews, and methods, including (but not limited to) research on the following sub-themes:

• Genetic and epigenetic regulation of plant meristem maintenance and organogenesis
• Plant meristem maintenance in response to biotic or abiotic stresses
• Dynamic development of grass inflorescence morphology specification
• Crop tiller determination
• Crop seeds/yield determination
• Crop plant-type determination

Disclaimer: We welcome submissions of different types of related manuscripts, but descriptive studies lacking significant biological advances would be rejected without peer review.

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